ICYMI: Latino Leaders and Congresswoman Escobar Highlight Threat of Federal Budget Cuts to Latino Communities

WASHINGTON — Chispa leaders from Nevada, Texas, and Maryland, together with Climate Power En Acción, held a virtual event titled “We Can’t Afford This.” The event underscored the severe consequences of proposed federal budget cuts to programs that protect clean air, promote affordable clean energy, and support community health. As part of the event, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-TX) contributed a pre-recorded video message, emphasizing the urgent need to protect these programs and Latino families from dangerous budget decisions. 

Participants emphasized how these cuts are expected to have a devastating impact on Latino communities, including higher costs for working families, worse public health outcomes, and increased climate-related risk for communities already disproportionately vulnerable. Actions taken by the Trump administration—and largely unopposed by Republicans in Congress—from imposing tariffs to weakening energy assistance programs and halting clean energy initiatives, are already resulting in lost jobs and higher costs. 

“What the Trump administration is doing isn’t abstract—it’s recklessly hurting our communities,” said Antonieta Cádiz, Deputy Executive Director for Climate Power En Acción. “As we head into extreme weather season, Latino families are already facing higher energy bills and the threat of severe storms and extreme heat. These proposed cuts would leave our Latino communities even more exposed. Once again, Trump and Republicans in Congress are showing us who they really serve—it’s not the families living in flood zones or those struggling to cool their homes during the summer heat; it’s their wealthy donors and Big Polluters. If these cuts go through, our families will pay the price.”

“Trump’s first 100 days in office have been the most harmful 100 days of any administration for climate, clean energy, public health, and our communities, especially our most vulnerable. The administration has begun to unilaterally undo decades of safeguards that protect our air, water, and public lands,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) via pre-recorded remarks. “They’ve worked to stop the transition to clean energy sources, kneecap the EPA, and lawlessly canceled billions in federal investments meant to help communities prepare for extreme weather events, reduce pollution, create jobs, lower costs, and slash climate pollution in half by 2030.”

“Our Latine communities are feeling multiple threats from rolling back the environmental progress we have made toward clean air, clean water, clean energy, and lower costs of living,” said Estefany Carrasco-Gonzalez, Chispa’s National Senior Director. “And even though they are gutting the most essential clean air and clean water protections for everyone, which are critical to life itself, Latino and communities of color will feel it the most. We want our community to know we can organize and build power to continue to push against these rollbacks, and our communities living with the impacts in their own neighborhoods are in the best position to do so.”

The webinar featured a group of Latino leaders who outlined what’s at stake in the current budget debate and shared local stories and solutions to help families understand how these proposed cuts could affect their lives and their future.  

About Climate Power En Acción

Climate Power En Acción is a project of Climate Power focused on running a strong earned and paid media political communications operation, cemented on tailored research, polling, and creative products focused on driving the national and local climate narrative for Latinos, aimed to support a green economy transition and cementing climate progress for future generations.

About Chispa

Chispa is a program of the League of Conservation Voters and LCV Education Fund. Their mission is to build the power of low-income communities of color across the country to achieve climate justice, community health, and environmental protections while fighting for accountability from polluters and decision-makers.